New Path
by SpiritUnbroken
Summary: The decisions of the third Hokage take Naruto down a new path, one that could have been with a cooperative, non-malicious Danzou. Smart!Naruto I can't write summaries well, so give it a crack! Tell me what you think!


_**Yo! This is my first fanfic, I'll try to update it regularly enough, so bear with me. I don't quite know what path I'll be taking with this story yet, but hopefully, it'll be entertaining.**_

" _Human thought"_

"Human speech"

" _ **Demonic thought"**_

" **Demonic speech"**

 _ **Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own Naruto, or I wouldn't be on the site :p.**_

 **Prelude**

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed as he sank behind the desk of the Hokage, _Damnit Minato, I just retired and you just had to go and die on me._ The Kyuubi's had been stopped less than an hour before, with the sacrifice of many, including the fourth Hokage. Just as Hiruzen was about to begin the arduous task of sorting through all the paperwork that had been piling up over the past week as Minato created contingencies for all the foreseeable problems that came with the birth of his son, an ANBU with the Washi(eagle) mask blurred into existence. "Hokage-sama, the jinchuriki has been secured. Where would you like him to be placed?"

 _I must not reveal his heritage, or he'll be killed before he reaches the age of two._ "Bring him to me. I can't risk any "accidents"."

"Yes Hokage-sama." The ANBU says, and leaves the same way he appeared.

 _What to do…._

A gray blur enters the Hokage's office. "Ah yes, Inu(dog), I see you got my summons."

"Yes sir. May I ask what is so urgent that I must take a mission so soon after the death of sensei?" says Kakashi with a troubled frown hidden behind his ANBU mask.

"You are to observe and protect young Naruto, until you leave ANBU, or I ask otherwise of you. You will be paid for an ongoing A class mission." _Don't question who he is, I don't want to lie to you._

"The one in the cradle behind you? He is the one that sensei sealed, correct?" Kakashi says, lightening considerably. "May I bring him to the apartments I share with Obito and Rin?"

"Yes. You will also pick two other members of ANBU to assist you with this task, and they will be informed of their new mission." Hiruzen replies, internally sighing with relief.

"Yes Hokage-sama. I will deliver first and second preferences for each of my team members to you tomorrow morning." Kakashi replies, bowing.

"Good. Why don't you take him with you for now? I've got a council meeting to deal with, and I won't be able to take care of him."

"As you wish, Hokage-sama."

As Kakashi meandered down the street towards the apartment building that he and his old teammates, Obito and Rin, shared, he got his first taste of what the blonde devil baby could dish out. In other words, Naruto started screaming, this perfect melody to the thumping bass line of his migraine. "Shhhh, don't worry, everything's fine," Kakashi says in a low voice, gently rocking the small basket in his arms. _This is going to suck isn't it. Oh well, I'll just make Obito take care of the thing while I make sure no one tries to kill it._ Kakashi had no idea what he was getting into, the poor guy. When he arrived at his apartment complex, he stealthily, as ninjas tend to be, opened the door and slinked up the stairs to the second floor, where he and his teammates' apartments were. "Hey, I'm back!" Kakashi says, setting the basket on the counter and sitting down a worn chair beside it. "Obito? Rin? We have a new friend to welcome!" The door to the hallway with the bedrooms open as Rin mopes in.

"What is this about a new friend? Did you convince Guy to move in or something?" she asks, disregarding the basket on the counter as something left by one of Kakashi's past conquests.

Kakashi's eye widens and he shake his head vehemently "NO! Defiantly not."

"Then who?" she asks adjusting a strap on the shoulder of her chuunin vest.

"I'll tell you as soon as OBITO GETS HIS LAZY ASS OUT OF BED!" Kakashi yells, followed by a suspicious thump before the hallway door opens again, revealing a ruffled, sleep deprived Obito.

"What do you want Kakashi? I just fell asleep." Obito says, his eye twitching at Kakashi's nonchalant posture.

"First, Rin, your shirt is on backwards. Second, Obito, you don't have any pants on." Kakashi says, amused, smirking as a flustered Rin tries and fails to turn her shirt around with her chuunin vest still on, and a pants less Obito runs back to his room to grab some. "Now, with that out of the way we can discuss what I called you here for," Kakashi says, gesturing to the basket beside him. "This is the boy that Minato sealed the Kyuubi into, and Lord Hokage has tasked me with watching over him until he has finished his council meeting. I just wanted to tell you so that if a blood crazed avenger crashes into the room you would know why." As Kakashi finishes, Rin walks over to the basket and picks up the sleeping blonde within.

With stars in her once sad eyes she squeals, "Can we keep him? He's sooooo cute!" As she says this, the baby Naruto snuggles into her chest letting out a cute yawn, making Rin even more enamored with him. Unfortunately, things aren't going quite so well for young Naruto in the council chambers.

"I am the Hokage goddamnit, and you will do as I say!" says the Hokage.

"No offence intended, Hokage-sama, but this issue is not within the jurisdiction of ninja, even one so esteemed as yourself. We have no idea who it's parents were, if it is human at all, and therefore, since it has no familial ninja connections, it is an orphan under the power of the civilian orphanages as stated in article seven act thirty-two as enacted by the second Hokage." The lawyer that the council had brought in said with a sickly-sweet smile. "You can do nothing."

"There is one alternative Hokage-sama," says a man half covered in bandages, "You could give him to me to train, putting him under your jurisdiction, and allowing me to make him strong for the good of Konoha. You see, we both know that the council won't allow anyone to adopt him if you allow them to take him as a ward. We both get what we want."

"Danzou-sama, what gives you the right to take a ward that is under the jurisdiction of the council?" The same lawyer asks, seeming smug.

"That would be article seven act thirty-three, the Ninja Conscription Act, States that the Hokage can place a ward of the council under any branch of ninja for specialized training, should the Hokage believe that the ward's merit exceeds his position as a civilian. And my Root division fits the bill." Danzou says, allowing a slight smirk to cross his scarred face.

"Danzou, I believe we have something to discuss," says the Hokage, "Council dismissed." As the council exits, Hiruzen motions for Danzou to meet him in his office. "You have presented me with an alternative, for which I am grateful. Now tell me, how will you go about training young Naruto?" Hiruzen asks.

"I plan to teach him to live by the shinobi guidelines for the first few years, along with very light physical and mental conditioning in the form of games and puzzles to teach tactics, and books to teach biology, anatomy, and chemistry in a way easy to understand for young Naruto. When he is of age, I intend to faze him into the academy to learn leadership and social skills, and train him in addition to the tutelage provided by his jonin sensei until the chuunin exams where I will give him the opportunity to rejoin your main forces. Should he decline, I will train him as a true Root nin." Danzou explains.

Hiruzen contemplates the answer for a while, chewing on the pipe he had retrieved and lit while he was listening to Danzou's speech. "I will allow it on three conditions. First, an ANBU of my choice is to accompany and assist in his training at all times. Second, you are not allowed to emotionally condition the boy in any way, shape or form. Third, you must allow him time off on every weekend so that he can form friendships and bonds before the academy. Are you amiable to these terms?"

"These terms are agreeable. I will take the boy in once he reaches the age of one. Until then, I trust that you can make arrangements?" Danzou replies. Hiruzen nods and turns back to his paperwork, which Danzou correctly interprets as a dismissal. _Kakashi's mission description just changed. Somehow I get the feeling that this will be a reoccurring theme._

"Ah..AH..AHCHOO,"

"Bless you, Kakashi," says Rin giggling, "That one princess you saved and accepted _appreciation_ from must be talking about you again."

Kakashi sweatdrops, "Don't remind me. How was I supposed to know that a girl that hot was a drag queen! I mean come on!"

"No shouting now, we wouldn't like to wake Naruto again, now would we?" Rin whispers between her teeth, the glint in her eye making a shiver go down Kakashi's spine.

"No ma'am!" Kakashi whispers back. _Man, Rin is scary._ "Alright, I have somewhere to be."

"This early in the morning? It's only three o'clock!" Obito says, incredulous.

"It's never too early to drop in on my squadmates," Kakashi replies, jumping out the window. On his way to ANBU headquarters, he slips on his Inu mask, enjoying the silence of the early morning. _Hmm, who to ask… perhaps Inoshishi(boar)? No, I'll ask Karasu(crow) and maybe Hebi(snake)? Eh, we'll see._ Kakashi enters the top floor of the ANBU headquarters, hoping to find someone in the lounge to ask for help (read: unsuspecting victim to blackmail into helping). Unfortunately, (or fortunately for the ANBU I suppose) no one is present in the lounge, so Kakashi decides to head for the squad locker rooms, hoping to catch someone finishing up a long, difficult, mission to spring his trap… I mean offer an easy, in village ANBU mission to them. Luckily for Kakashi, Karasu was in the locker room, stripping off his grimy, bloody ANBU armor.

"Ah, Inu sempai, what brings you here so early? Are you to start an S-rank soon?" Karasu asks.

"Not quite, I'm here recruiting for a long term, in village, A-class mission. You interested?" Kakashi asks. Karasu merely nods for Kakashi continue while he slides out of the rest of his ANBU gear. "Hokage-sama has charged me with the protection of the baby jinchuriki, and has allowed me to choose two other ANBU to lessen the weight of the mission. Even if you decide not to take the mission, could you point me in the direction of someone who might?"

"I'll take the mission, and I might know just who to ask to be our third member," Karasu replies, "Besides, a long term in village mission will let me spend more time with my new baby brother as well as assist with the rebuilding of the village."

"Anyone I know?" Kakashi asks.

"I am uncertain if you have made her acquaintance, but Shiroi Okami (White Wolf) is one of the few including yourself who knows who I am under the mask." Karasu replies. _Shiroi Okami, interesting. Few ANBU have a color included in their names, I wonder what got her that title?_

A kunoichi stifles a sneeze, which would have given away her position, and possible costing her the mission. _Damnit, who would be talking about me at this ungodly hour? Ah well, no matter, after this, I can go home to Konoha and maybe get enough time off to meet my baby cousin._ With that, she silently drops on her target, swiftly ending his life with a kunai to the throat, stopping any chance that an alarm could be raised. _Objective complete, now for extraction._ She fits a small rebreather under her mask, and strips to her undergarments, sealing her clothes into the tattoo on her shoulder, silently thanking the convenience of the thing, and dives into the well that leads to an aquifer, which in turn leads to a cave system that lets out two villages away from the stronghold that will soon be at full alert, at least when the body is found.

 _ **Annnnnnd, cut. What did you guys think? Sorry for making the chapter so short, I'll do my best to make longer chapters, but I kind of need to sleep about now. I'll try to update soon, so keep your eyes peeled.**_


End file.
